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For some women, capri pants cropped mid-calf represent sun-soaked holidays and a nostalgic femininity found wanting in cargo shorts. For others, they are a greater fashion challenge than sitting down in a bubble skirt.
Championed by Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Mary Tyler Moore in the ’50s and ’60s, revived by every supermodel with a $10,000 day rate in the ’90s, and worn on the red carpet by Hilary Duff, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez in the ’00s, capri pants are back. Styles have trickled down from runway appearances for luxury labels Tory Burch, Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton, into Cos, Target, Sportscraft and White Fox stores.
Bella Hadid in capri pants and a cropped blouse.Credit: GC Images
Hailey Bieber in polka-dot capri pants, a print best reserved for fashion-forward followers of the trend.Credit: GC Images
“With the return of pop-culture franchises like And Just Like That and Freakier Friday, it’s fitting that ’00s-style capri pants are making a comeback,” says Arabella McNamee, senior womenswear buyer at The Iconic.
“As we head into spring, the capri is a staple piece that can easily elevate basics already in your wardrobe. Classic monochrome colours or denim varietals are proving popular.”
Model Emily Ratajkowski means business with a monochrome approach to capri pants.Credit: GC Images
For fashion brands still facing economic headwinds, capri pants are a profitable dream, with the simple design requiring minimal manufacturing costs, but once they’re off the clothes hanger they can become a customer’s nightmare.
The mid-calf hemline is a challenge for many women, abruptly breaking the silhouette of an outfit at a wide part of the leg.
How to wear capri pants
“It’s important to style them in a modern way,” says freelance stylist Charlotte Stokes. “Take away all the nostalgia. Play with proportions and wear an oversized blazer with either boxy capri pants or skintight versions. Add a ballet flat or kitten heel and it looks modern and chic.
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“If you go for the capri pant that your mum or grandma wore, with the little slit in the side, it can be quite horrifying.”
Deborah Sams, co-founder and creative director of Bassike, also favours fitted styles with oversized sweaters and ballet flats. Cropped T-shirts and tank tops are also options when spring leaps into summer.
“Capri pants feel fresh for the season, are very wearable and perfect for trans-seasonal dressing,” Sams says.
Skintight and legging versions are the styles most favoured by model content creators such as Hailey Bieber, Emily Ratajkowski and Bella Hadid.
If you prefer boxy capris, Stokes suggests slightly stiffer denim versions, and swapping flat shoes for boots that almost reach the hemline.
“It’s more of a motocross look that seems popular with the street-style set.”
What to wear instead
If capri pants are still activating your fashion gag-reflex, turn to Jackie Kennedy for inspiration. While closely associated with the style during her marriage to Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis, Kennedy preferred cropped pants that finish above the ankle.
The narrow silhouette is still playful with boxy blazers and bomber jackets but draws attention away from bulging calf muscles.
“It’s all about proportions,” Stokes says.
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